Tobacco-press.



No. 628,663. Patented July ll, I899.

v A. V. HYSURE.

TOBAOCO'PRESS.

(Application filed. Km. 16, 189B. Renewed May 26, 1899. (No Model. 2 Shaats-Sheet L WITNESSES INVENTOR Tu: non-R's PETERS co. wcnoumm WASHINGTON, u c.

Patented July ll, I899. A. V. HYSORE.

TOBACCO PRESS.

{Application filed Mar. 16, 1898. Renewed May 26, 1899.1

2 Sheeta8heet 2.

{N01 Model.)

Boar Or ScALES WITNESSES INVENTOR CLZ Attorney 'ihvirnn ra'rn MET FFICM ALPIIENAS V. IIYSORE, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, ASSIG-NOR OF TlVO- TIIIRDS TO S. l. MAYO AND \V. J. "WIIITEI-IURST, OF SAME PLACE.

TOBACCO-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,663, dated July 11, 1899.

Application filed March 16, 1398. Renewed May 26, 1899. Serial No. 718AZ3. (N model.)

To (all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALPHENAS V. IIYSORE, of Richmond, in the county of IIenrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tobacco-Presses; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in tobacco-presses, the object being to afford greater facility than hitherto in the packing and weighing of tobacco for the trade by reducing the amount of labor required and the number of manipulations necessary to place, fill, pack, weigh, and remove the hogsheads; and it consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts,which will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view. Fig. 2 is a View in elevation. Figs. 3 and at are detail views, and Fig. is a detail.

A represents a central pier of masonry. B is an I-beam at the outer circumference, and O O are radial sills. These parts comprise the foundation of the press, but are no part of the invention. The superstructure consists of a pair of pillars 1 and 2, the former rising from the center of the foundation and pillar 2 from the outer end of one of the sills C. These pillars are connected at the top by the cross-bar 3.

A rotatable platform 4 is mounted over the sills O 0, upon which it is supported and turns, it being provided on its lower side with, say, two annular tracks 5 5, which turn on rollers 6 6, where the greatest weight comes. At the center ball-bearings '7 7 are used to prevent friction. At its outer edge the platform is provided with a rack 10, with which the teeth of pinion 11 engage, and this pinion is given a step-by-step motion by the lever 12 and ratchet mechanism 13.

On the platform 4 several plates 8 8 are located. These are loose on the platform and furnished with depending dowels 9 9, which permit the plates to slide up and down and at the same time prevent their turning. The

hogsheads l-l to be filled are placed on these plates, and the platform is turned to bring these hogsheads one at a time to a position beneath the cross-bar 3, in which position the packing is done. Cylinder 15 is mounted on this bar. In it the piston 16 operates. The plunger 17 is rigidly secured on the lower end of the piston-rod, and it is raised and lowered by steam or hydraulic power.

Heretofore presses have been tried employing a pivoted plunger. These have been universally abandoned, because the tobacco was packed in irregular layers in consequence of the pivoted plunger, which did not descend with equal and uniform pressure at all points. This has made so much difference in the sale of tobacco that it was necessary to abandon the pivoted plungers. The objection is absolutely overcome in my invention by making this plunger-head perfectly rigid, the result of the pressure of which is perfectly flat layers of tobacco of uniform thickness throughout, it being understood that each plunger-pressu re makes a layer and that there are generally three, at least, to a hogshead of tobacco. Another objection to presses of this character which has sometimes caused their abandonment is the leak of water from the cylinder into the tobacco. This I prevent by forming a receptacle 20 on top of the plunger, which catches all drip from above. A hose may be connected with this for drawing off the accumulated water.

Beneath the point where the hogshead stands while being packed the scales E are located. The platform is placed some distance beneath the sills O C, so as to be out of the way. Four short posts 21 21 extend upward from this platform, and these are connected with a corresponding number of rods 22 22, which slide loosely in the rotatable platform by means of toggle-joints 23 28. Rods 22 22 are in line with and immediately beneath depending blocks 24 24L on the under side of each plate, the object being to lift the said plates upon the rods 22 22 and W through the toggle-joints support them, with their load, upon the scale-platform when it is time to weigh the hogshead. This is done by straightening out the toggle-joint. Normally these parts are all slack, as shown in Fig. 3,

at which time all weight is sustained by the rotatable platform, but this is shifted to the scale-platform when weighing is to be done bymaking rigid the toggle-joint, as stated, and this may be accomplished in various ways, one of which I will now describe. A rockshaft 25 is journaled at some convenient place between these toggles, and on this shaft are the arms 26 26, and from the outer end of these arms the links 27 27 extend in opposite direction to the toggle-joints. A lever 28 is secured on the outerend of this shaft whereby to rock it.

The operation is a simple one. The hogsheads are filled and placed on the plates or blocks on the rotatable platform. The platform is then turned so as to get these hogsheads successively beneath the plunger. Pressure is then applied, and the hogshead is weighed. The weight is then usually marked temporarily on the hogshead. The platform is then turned until the next hogshead comes under the plunger and the operation repeated. Meanwhile operators are filling and refilling the hogsheads not under the press until they are filled to the required weight, when'they are turned aside.

As a means for holding the tobacco under pressure for a time after it is removed from under the plunger a false top is placed over it, as shown in Fig. 5, and the loops 30 30, connected with the plat-form at opposite points, are hooked over the ears 81 31 at the sides of the false top. After remaining in this condition for a certain period the false top is removed and the permanent headis secured on in place and the hogshead is ready for shipment.

Changes in minor details might of course be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction herein set forth; but,

Having fully explained my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a press, the combination with a rotatable platform adapted to support one or more receptacles thereon, and a plunger for pressing material therein, of weighing-scales, and means for raising the receptacle from the platform and thus applying the full weight of the receptacle with its contents upon the scales without handling thereceptacle or removing it from its position.

2. In a press, the combination with a support and plate or plates mounted thereon movable up and down on the platform, said plate or plates adapted each to receivea receptacle thereon, and means for pressing material into these receptacles,of a pair-of scales, and means for raising said plate or plates whereby to throw the weight of the receptacle with its contents upon the scales without requiring any moving or handling of the object to be weighed.

3. In a press, the combination with a sup' port, a plate or plates on said support and means for moving said plates up and down, of scales and means connected with the scales for throwing the weight of the receptacle and its contents onto the scales without requiring any handling or manipulation of the receptacle.

' 4. In a press the combination with a support, and base plate or plates to receive the receptacle to have material pressed therein, said plate or plates having up-and-down slidin g movement on the support, and a plunger, of scale-platform, toggle-joint mechanism disposed between the scale-platform and said base plate or plates and means for lengthening and shortening this toggle-joint mechanism, whereby to throw the weight of the receptacle onto the scale-platform or upon the support.

5. In a press, the combination with a Vertically-movable plate or plates, adapted .to sustain the weight of the receptacle to be filled, of a scale-platform, posts on the scale-platform, rods cooperating with said plate or plates, toggle-joints interposed between the posts and rods and pivotally attached to both, a rock-shaft, arms thereon and links extending from these arms to the toggle-joints, and means whereby to rock the shaft whereby to lengthen or shorten the toggle-joint whereby to apply the weight of the receptacle upon the scales or the support.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALPHENAS V. HYSORE.

Witnesses:

G. F. DOWNING, (J. S. DRURY. 

